Category Archives: Maintenance & Repairs

Sometimes it can be difficult to choose the right oil for your car. There are several things to take into consideration when you are choosing an oil. Many new cars have recommendations from the manufacturer in their owner’s manuals. If you do not have an owner’s manual for your car, there are some general guidelines that may help you choose the correct oil for your car. The weather conditions can also have an impact on the oil that you choose.

Traditional Weight Oils

Traditional weight oils have been used for decades to keep all kinds of car engines running smoothly. They are organic, petroleum based products that have an excellent viscosity rating to keep your engine’s parts well lubricated when… Continue Reading…

Having clean car windows is a safety feature that cannot be ignored. Dirty or smudged windows can obscure your vision. You can have sparkling clean car windows by following these few simple how to tips.

Use Household Products for Sparkling Clean Windows

You do not need to purchase window cleaners are expensive gadgets to be able to clean your car windows. You can wipe them clean in no time by gathering a few things that you already have.

1. Old newspapers or paper towels
2. A plastic spray bottle
3. White vinegar
4. Water
5. Net covered scrubbing sponge

Start cleaning the windows on the inside of the car. If it is extremely hot out, roll down all of the windows while you work on the back glass and the windshield. Fill the plastic spray bottle 1/4 of the way full of vinegar. Fill the remainder… Continue Reading…

The engine is an important part of your car and probably the most neglected when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. Perhaps because of all the wires and hoses, many people are reluctant to try to clean the apparatus under the hood. But maintaining a clean engine can prolong the life of the car and certainly can increase its resale value. Once you follow a few simple rules and safeguards, cleaning your engine can become a regular part of maintaining your car.

1. Never try to clean a hot engine. Your engine should feel slightly warm to the touch before starting your cleaning. The slight warming will help to loosen the excess grease and can speed up your cleaning task. If the engine is hot to the touch, wait a few minutes for it to cool down.

2. Cover any areas that you do not want to get wet. This… Continue Reading…

Thoroughly cleaning the upholstery in a car is something that should be done at least twice yearly or more, depending on how much a person uses their car. Today cars have become a popular place for people to eat and drink while traveling. Grease and stains from eating in the car may be difficult to remove, but it is important to clean the upholstery thoroughly to avoid bad smells and growth of bacteria. These steps will ensure a car’s upholstery is cleaned well:

1. Vacuuming

The first step in upholstery cleaning is vacuuming. Those who have a ShopVac will be able to do this quickly and easily. Renting a vacuum isn’t necessary for people who don’t own one of these; an extension cord may be used in order to bring a regular vacuum outside. Most vacuums come with an upholstery brush attachment for the hose; these attachments work very well… Continue Reading…

Purchasing a car is an investment that one wants to keep in good working order for as long as possible. Mechanical maintenance and body maintenance are of the utmost importance for functionality. Cleaning and maintaining the vehicle’s interior will help to preserve value on the car while giving a comfortable space to travel in. The following guide will help you care for the interior of your vehicle in a simple and effective way.

*Floor Care

Caring for the carpets in a vehicle is a primary point of interest when servicing the interior of a car. The carpet will take the most wear and tear, be exposed to the conditions of weather introduced through occupants feet, and collect most of the grime and dirt that accompany a passenger.

Start by removing the floor mats and placing them on the ground near the vehicle. A vacuum attachment with a narrower end will… Continue Reading…

Anyone who owns a car will be able to look and see that among the filthiest places in or around a car is on the floor carpet. The reasons why are fairly obvious; you are constantly bringing in dirt with your shoes, and your kids and possibly even pets only make the matter worse. An effective cleaning of your car’s’ carpet is not a difficult job; in reality, it can be properly performed in under an hour. This article goes through the proper step by step directions to cleaning your car’s carpet.

Materials Necessary for the Project:

- Hot Water
- A Vacuum
- Vinegar
- Dish Detergent
- A Brush with hard bristles
- A Spray bottle
- Several Towels

Vacuuming the Carpet

Before you begin in earnest, you will have to start with a fairly obvious task. You should begin by vacuuming… Continue Reading…

Leather car seats require a little extra care and regular maintenance than vinyl or cloth seats. The leather can dry out, which leads to cracks and discoloration. If you own a car that has leather seats, you need to know how to keep them clean without harming the leather. Before you begin cleaning your leather seats, you need to find out if they are coated or not. If you drip a little bit of water on the seat and the water soaks in, your seats are not coated. If the water beads and runs, your seats are coated with a light plastic. Leather that is not coated requires different treatment than leather that is coated.

Use the Right Kind of Cleaner

There are commercial cleaners available in most automotive stores that are designed specifically for cleaning leather seats. If you have leather seats that are not coated, you need to… Continue Reading…

Whenever you decide to disconnected the brake line, or alternatively if the master cylinder that you add brake fluid to gets too low, allowing air inside the lines, then you will have to bleed out the air from the brake lines. This is important because when air gets inside of the brake lines, it can lead to a pedal which skips or is mushy. Either of these is a perilous situation when an urgent stop is required. This article goes through the step by step directions to bleeding the air from the brake lines.

Materials Required for the Project:

- Twelve inch long rubber hose
- Crescent wrenches with closed and open ends
- Plastic container or bottle
- Goggles for your eyes
- Your car’s specific brake fluid
- Rubber gloves
- Old rags

Beginning with the Rear Wheels

First you will need… Continue Reading…

Auto detailing is an in-depth cleaning process that includes interior, exterior, and engine cleaning. Detailing is typically performed on high-end cars and show automobiles although any thorough car cleaning can be considered detailing. Car detailing is not strictly performed by professional detailing services; amateurs and car owners also perform car detailing for personal satisfaction or profit. Car detailing goes far beyond a simple car wash and vacuuming.

Interior Detailing

Inside the car, everything from the headliner to the floor mats will be thoroughly cleaned. Interior detailing includes window washing, carpet cleaning, and stain removal. Car detailers use specialized cleaning agents to treat all types of interior surfaces from plastic to leather. Plastic components, such as the control panel and dashboard, should be treated with a plastic polish designed to produce shine and protect against UV damage. Vinyl and leather seats should be treated with a gentle cleanser followed by a… Continue Reading…

The motor oil is the lubricant that keeps an engines moving parts from wearing, prevents the buildup of dirt, and helps keep the engine from overheating. Without proper levels of oil, a car’s engine is put under stress and can become damaged. Checking engine oil on a regular basis is an important element of car maintenance, and here is how to get it done.

1. Park the car on a level surface and allow time for the oil in the return galleries, cylinder head valleys, drains down for a more accurate reading.

2. If the car has just been used, wait for at least an hour until the engine cools down.

3. Open the hood and locate the dipstick. Use the car’s manual for help if needed. The dipstick is a piece of metal with a loop at one end. Once it is located, pull the dipstick all the way… Continue Reading…

There are numerous ways to wash a car and there’s a different reason for each method of washing it. For example, if you want to save money, you might consider washing your car on your driveway. If you have money to spare and want it done quickly and less painstakingly, you can consider hiring someone to wash your car for you. In the end, no matter the method you choose, you’re looking for a clean car that you’ll be proud to drive around because, let’s face it, nobody likes to lay their eyes on a dirty and unsightly vehicle.

High Budget Washing

Nowadays, there are seemingly a ton of different places you can go to wash your car. However, you’ll need to choose a place that suits your budget accordingly. If you got the extra cash, there are plenty of car wash services where you can take your car, leave… Continue Reading…

Depending on its color, a road bike or motorcycle may not appear to be dirty. If it has been ridden, it is dirty and needs to be cleaned. Keeping a road bike clean helps to protect the paint, the chrome and also helps to access any maintenance wear.

Cleaning Supplies for the Road Bike

Keep the cleaning supplies for the road bike in a bucket that can be used for washing. Keep this bucket in a handy location so that it is easily accessible. The road bike should be cleaned after every trip, especially if it has been ridden in fowl weather, or on oil covered roads.

Essential cleaning supplies for the road bike are:

1. Mild auto washing detergent
2. Soft cloths or a sponge
3. Chrome cleaner
3. A stiff brush for the tires
4. Glass cleaner for mirrors and lights
5. Absorbent… Continue Reading…

Every reader who owns a car knows how difficult and frustrating it is to keep the interior of your car clean. Yet having a car interior which is clean proves to be about as impressive as having a car exterior which is clean. If you learn the best means of cleaning up your car’s interior, then you will be able to save yourself some significant dollars that will otherwise go to an expert car detailing outfit. This article goes through the step by step directions to effectively cleaning the interior of a car.

Materials Necessary for the Project:

- Paper Towels
- Upholstery cleaner
- Vacuum cleaner
- Laundry detergent (not required)
- Carpet shampoo
- Sponge
- Small towel
- Vinyl protector
- Window cleaner

Prep Work

First begin by removing all of the trash from within your car. This includes… Continue Reading…

Auto detailers can charge a fortune to clean the inside of your car but with the right tools and some elbow grease, you can make your car sparkle for little or no money.

Take Inventory of Interior Finishes

First take an inventory of your car’s interior. Some cleaning products can damage the surfaces in your car. If your car has leather upholstery and trim, you will need a special cleaner to maintain the finish. The other surfaces to be cleaned may be plastic, glass, fabric or vinyl. Choose a product that will clean and not damage these surfaces. For special finishes like wood or wood grain, use products designed for wood cleaning and polishing. Soap and water can damage the texture and appearance of wood.

In addition to commercial cleaners from auto supply stores, there are some household products suitable for cleaning the inside of your car. A mild detergent… Continue Reading…

Cleaning a car engine can be a relatively simple process, but there are a few things that car owners need to do prior to cleaning their car engine. The first step is to open the vehicles hood and assess the actual extent of the cleaning task at hand. This assessment will set vehicle owners up for the next step: shopping. If the engine appears to have lots of caked on grime and oil, then a degreasing spray will need to be purchased and a little extra care might be in order because there could be a serious mechanical problem that may be exacerbated by using water and/or steam.

If this is the case, using degreaser to completely clean an engine should be the only cleaning step done for one week. If even a small amount of grime comes back after one week, stop cleaning the engine and see a mechanic… Continue Reading…